Background: Dental fear and anxiety still pose the most common factors proposed for the child’s negative behavior in the dental operatory. Intelligence has an impact on the children’s communication, feelings, and responsiveness to dental situations. The benefits of parental presence on reinforcing the child’s behavior during dental treatment are still debatable. This study aimed to assess the effect of parental active versus parental passive presence techniques on the overall behavior of preschool children with different intelligence levels.Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted from December 2017 to August 2019. It recruited 150 healthy children, 3–6-year-old, with no history of previous dental pain/treatment, and intelligence quotient level of 70– ≤ 110 stratified into 3 equal groups (high, average, low). In the first visit, each IQ group was randomly divided into test (PAP) and control (PPP) groups. In the second visit, dental fear was assessed before preventive intervention, the test groups were then managed using parental active presence technique, while the control groups were managed using parental passive presence technique. The overall behavior was assessed at the end of the visit. Data was analyzed using Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis.Results: The parental active presence technique had significant effect on children with high and low intelligence quotients. There were significantly higher odds of positive behavior in high than low intelligence quotient children, (OR 4.08, 95% CI 1.43, 11.67, P = 0.01). The parental active presence technique had significantly higher odds of positive behavior than the parental passive presence technique, (OR 4.08, 95% CI 1.71, 9.76, P = 0.002).Conclusions: The parental active presence technique had positively influenced the children’s overall behavior irrespective of their intelligence levels. This trial was retrospectively registered, trial identifier number: NCT04580316, 8/11/2020.

Background: Professionally applied topical fluoride preparations have been commonly used and have proven to prevent dental decay. Alternative preparations that provide further benefits may be of interest to investigate. This study aimed to investigate the effect of experimental nano silver fluoride (NSF) formulation compared to commercial sodium fluoride varnish (FV) on prevention of in vitro demineralization of initially sound enamel in primary teeth. Methods: Forty-eight extracted/exfoliated sound molars were sectioned buccolingually into 96 specimens then assigned randomly into two equal groups. Each group was further subdivided into two equal subgroups (Ia: NSF, IIa: FV, Ib and IIb as negative controls). The test materials were applied, then all the specimens were subjected to a demineralization pH cycling model for 7 days. Specimens were examined for surface microhardness using Vickers microhardness device and lesion depth was evaluated by polarized light microscope using image J 1.46r software. Data were analyzed using paired t-test, independent t-test, and Mann Whitney U test. Results: The test materials were significantly superior to their negative controls, (P < 0.001) and comparable to each other, (P > 0.05) regarding microhardness and lesion depth. In comparison to FV, NSF showed lower yet statistically insignificant percent increase in microhardness and decrease in lesion depth, (P = 0.81, 0.86, respectively). Qualitative evaluation revealed that both agents reduced the lesion depth formation. Conclusion: NSF showed similar effect to that of FV in limiting in vitro enamel demineralization caused by acidic challenge. Hence, it could be regarded as a promising alternative preventive agent in primary teeth.

Introduction: Space maintainers are appliances used in maintaining space and guiding unerupted permanent successor into the arch in the proper position. With today's technological advances, attempts have been made to implement new materials in manufacturing.Objectives: To study the clinical effectiveness and the patient’s comfort of CAD/CAM PEEK space maintainer and compare it to the conventional band and loop space maintainer.Materials and methods: A Two parallel arms randomized controlled clinical trial where 20 children with an age range 5-7 years indicated for space maintainer were selected and were randomly allocated into 2 groups: Experimental group (CAD/CAM PEEK space maintainer), Control group (Metal Band & Loop space maintainer). Patients were recalled at the 1, 3, and 6 months for clinical follow-up. The patient’s comfort was assessed after insertion of the space maintainers.Results: Evaluation was evaluated at 1,3 and 6 months. Fisher’s Exact test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare groups. The significance level was set at a P value of 0.05. There weren’t any statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding the clinical effectiveness, plaque deposition and gingival health. (P=1.00), (P=0.052) respectively. Only one case failed of the study group. There was a statistical significance difference regarding the patient’s comfort (P=0.001). The experimental group had greater patient’s comfort than the control group.Conclusions: The CAD/CAM PEEK space maintainer showed a high clinical success rates with a greater patient’s comfort during the 6-month follow-up period in comparison to the band and loop space maintainer.

Background: Pulpotomy procedures aiming to preserve and regenerate the dentin-pulp complex have recently increased exponentially due to developments in the field of biomaterials and tissue engineering in primary and permanent teeth. Although the number of studies in this domain has increased, there is still scarcity of evidence in the current literature.Objectives: (1) Report the methods of outcome assessment of pulpotomy clinical trials in both primary and permanent teeth; (2) Identify the various bioactive agents and biodegradable scaffolds used in pulpotomy clinical trials in both primary and permanent teeth.Materials and methods: A scoping review of the literature was performed, including a search of primary studies on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest and Clinicaltrials.gov. A search for controlled trials or randomized controlled trials published between 2012 and 2023 involving primary or permanent teeth receiving partial or full pulpotomy procedures using bioactive/regenerative capping materials was performed.Results: 127 studies out of 1038 articles fulfilled all the inclusion criteria and were included in the current scoping review. More than 90% of the studies assessed clinical and radiographic outcomes. Histological, microbiological, or inflammatory outcomes were measured in only 9.4% of all included studies. Majority of the studies (67.7%) involved primary teeth. 119 studies used non-degradable bioactive cements, while biodegradable scaffolds were used by 32 studies, natural derivates and plant extracts studies were used in only 7 studies. Between 2012 (4 studies) and 2023 (11 studies), there was a general increase in the number of articles published. India, Egypt, Turkey, and Iran were found to have the highest total number of articles published (28, 28,16 and 10 respectively).Conclusions: Pulpotomy studies in both primary and permanent teeth relied mainly on subjective clinical and radiographic outcome assessment methods and seldom analyzed pulpal inflammatory status objectively. The use of biodegradable scaffolds for pulpotomy treatments has been increasing with an apparent global distribution of most of these studies in low- to middle-income countries. However, the development of a set of predictable outcome measures as well as long-term evidence from well conducted clinical trials for novel pulpotomy dressing materials are still required.